Granted Patent B2

US 12,201,460 · App. 17/806,734 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Inventors: Hisatsugu Horiuchi (Kanagawa, JP); Sho Shimizukawa (Kanagawa, JP); Masakazu Fukuyo (Kanagawa, JP); Naoyuki Nishino (Kanagawa, JP); Takashi Tajima (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION

A61B6/02A61B6/4208A61B6/5205A61B6/0407

Abstract

Claims (95)

1. A radiography apparatus comprising:

a radiation source that irradiates a subject with radiation;

a radiation detector having an imaging sensor unit which includes at least two imaging sensors of a first imaging sensor and a second imaging sensor that have a rectangular plate shape and include pixels that sense the radiation or visible light converted from the radiation and generate charge and in which a first end portion of the first imaging sensor and a second end portion of the second imaging sensor are arranged to overlap each other in a thickness direction;

a processor; and

a memory that is connected to or provided in the processor,

wherein the first imaging sensor has a first imaging region in which the pixels are arranged,

the second imaging sensor has a second imaging region in which the pixels are arranged,

the first imaging sensor is disposed closer to an incident side of the radiation than the second imaging sensor in the thickness direction,

in the second imaging region, a reflected region in which the first end portion is reflected is present in at least an overlap region in which the first end portion and the second end portion overlap each other,

the first imaging region and the second imaging region overlap each other in the overlap region in a plan view of the imaging sensor unit in the thickness direction, and

a marker that is reflected in both the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor is attached to the radiation detector at a preset position, and

wherein the processor

detects a positional deviation of the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor on the basis of the set position and a position where the marker is actually reflected,

specifies the reflected region on the basis of the detected positional deviation,

acquires a radiographic image of the subject from the imaging sensor,

removes a signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a diagnosis image to be used for a doctor's diagnosis is generated from the radiographic image, and

does not remove the signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a confirmation image for confirming a reflected state of the subject is generated from the radiographic image.

2. A radiography apparatus comprising:

a radiation source that irradiates a subject with radiation;

a radiation detector having an imaging sensor unit which includes at least two imaging sensors of a first imaging sensor and a second imaging sensor that have a rectangular plate shape and include pixels that sense the radiation or visible light converted from the radiation and generate charge and in which a first end portion of the first imaging sensor and a second end portion of the second imaging sensor are arranged to overlap each other in a thickness direction;

a processor; and

a memory that is connected to or provided in the processor,

wherein the first imaging sensor has a first imaging region in which the pixels are arranged,

the second imaging sensor has a second imaging region in which the pixels are arranged,

the first imaging sensor is disposed closer to an incident side of the radiation than the second imaging sensor in the thickness direction,

in the second imaging region, a reflected region in which the first end portion is reflected is present in at least an overlap region in which the first end portion and the second end portion overlap each other, and

an irradiation angle of the radiation with respect to the radiation detector is changeable, and

wherein the processor

specifies the reflected region that changes depending on the irradiation angle,

acquires a radiographic image of the subject from the imaging sensor,

removes a signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a diagnosis image to be used for a doctor's diagnosis is generated from the radiographic image, and

does not remove the signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a confirmation image for confirming a reflected state of the subject is generated from the radiographic image.

3. A radiography apparatus comprising:

a radiation source that irradiates a subject with radiation;

a radiation detector having an imaging sensor unit which includes at least two imaging sensors of a first imaging sensor and a second imaging sensor that have a rectangular plate shape and include pixels that sense the radiation or visible light converted from the radiation and generate charge and in which a first end portion of the first imaging sensor and a second end portion of the second imaging sensor are arranged to overlap each other in a thickness direction;

a processor; and

a memory that is connected to or provided in the processor,

wherein the first imaging sensor has a first imaging region in which the pixels are arranged,

the second imaging sensor has a second imaging region in which the pixels are arranged,

the first imaging sensor is disposed closer to an incident side of the radiation than the second imaging sensor in the thickness direction,

in the second imaging region, a reflected region in which the first end portion is reflected is present in at least an overlap region in which the first end portion and the second end portion overlap each other, and

the radiation is capable of being obliquely incident on the overlap region, and a size of a focus of the radiation is changeable, and

wherein the processor

specifies the reflected region that changes depending on the size of the focus,

acquires a radiographic image of the subject from the imaging sensor,

removes a signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a diagnosis image to be used for a doctor's diagnosis is generated from the radiographic image, and

does not remove the signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a confirmation image for confirming a reflected state of the subject is generated from the radiographic image.

4. The radiography apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein a distance between the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor in the thickness direction is equal to or less than 2 mm.

5. The radiography apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a width of the reflected region is equal to or less than 10 mm.

6. The radiography apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein a length of one side of the imaging sensor is equal to or greater than 300 mm.

7. The radiography apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the radiation detector includes a support table having an attachment surface which is convex toward an opposite side of the radiation source and to which the imaging sensor unit is attached following the convex shape.

8. The radiography apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the convex shape is a U-shape or a V-shape.

9. The radiography apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein, in a case in which the convex shape is the U-shape, a tangent line between the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor in the overlap region is parallel to a tangent line between the second imaging sensor and the support table in the overlap region.

10. The radiography apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein, in a case in which the convex shape is the U-shape, centers of curvature of at least two imaging sensors are located at the same position.

11. The radiography apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the imaging sensor unit includes two imaging sensors of the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor.

12. The radiography apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the imaging sensor is a sensor panel in which the pixels including thin film transistors are two-dimensionally arranged.

13. The radiography apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein a substrate of the sensor panel is made of a resin.

14. The radiography apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an annular frame to which the radiation source and the radiation detector are attached and in which the subject is positioned in a cavity; and

a rotation mechanism that rotates the frame around the subject to capture the radiographic images at different angles,

wherein the radiation detector includes a support table having an attachment surface which has an arc surface shape toward an opposite side of the radiation source and to which the imaging sensor unit is attached following the arc surface shape.

15. The radiography apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the radiography apparatus is a computed tomography apparatus that generates a tomographic image of the subject as the diagnosis image on the basis of a plurality of the radiographic images captured at different angles.

16. The radiography apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein the confirmation image is a scout image that is obtained by scout imaging performed before the tomographic image is captured.

17. The radiography apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein the confirmation image is a preview image that is generated on the basis of one of the plurality of radiographic images captured at different angles and is displayed before the tomographic image is displayed.

18. The radiography apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the radiation source emits the radiation having a conical shape.

19. The radiography apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the subject is positioned in the cavity in either a standing posture or a sitting posture.

20. A method for operating a radiography apparatus including a radiation source that irradiates a subject with radiation and a radiation detector having an imaging sensor unit which includes at least two imaging sensors of a first imaging sensor and a second imaging sensor that have a rectangular plate shape and include pixels that sense the radiation or visible light converted from the radiation and generate charge and in which a first end portion of the first imaging sensor and a second end portion of the second imaging sensor are arranged to overlap each other in a thickness direction, wherein the first imaging sensor has a first imaging region in which the pixels are arranged, the second imaging sensor has a second imaging region in which the pixels are arranged, the first imaging sensor is disposed closer to an incident side of the radiation than the second imaging sensor in the thickness direction, in the second imaging region, a reflected region in which the first end portion is reflected is present in at least an overlap region in which the first end portion and the second end portion overlap each other, the first imaging region and the second imaging region overlap each other in the overlap region in a plan view of the imaging sensor unit in the thickness direction, and a marker that is reflected in both the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor is attached to the radiation detector at a preset position,

the method comprising:

detecting a positional deviation of the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor on the basis of the set position and a position where the marker is actually reflected;

specifying the reflected region on the basis of the detected positional deviation;

acquiring a radiographic image of the subject from the imaging sensor;

removing a signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a diagnosis image to be used for a doctor's diagnosis is generated from the radiographic image; and

not removing the signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a confirmation image for confirming a reflected state of the subject is generated from the radiographic image.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for operating a radiography apparatus including a radiation source that irradiates a subject with radiation and a radiation detector having an imaging sensor unit which includes at least two imaging sensors of a first imaging sensor and a second imaging sensor that have a rectangular plate shape and include pixels that sense the radiation or visible light converted from the radiation and generate charge and in which a first end portion of the first imaging sensor and a second end portion of the second imaging sensor are arranged to overlap each other in a thickness direction, wherein the first imaging sensor has a first imaging region in which the pixels are arranged, the second imaging sensor has a second imaging region in which the pixels are arranged, the first imaging sensor is disposed closer to an incident side of the radiation than the second imaging sensor in the thickness direction, in the second imaging region, a reflected region in which the first end portion is reflected is present in at least an overlap region in which the first end portion and the second end portion overlap each other, the first imaging region and the second imaging region overlap each other in the overlap region in a plan view of the imaging sensor unit in the thickness direction, and a marker that is reflected in both the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor is attached to the radiation detector at a preset position,

the program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

detecting a positional deviation of the first imaging sensor and the second imaging sensor on the basis of the set position and a position where the marker is actually reflected;

specifying the reflected region on the basis of the detected positional deviation;

acquiring a radiographic image of the subject from the imaging sensor;

removing a signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a diagnosis image to be used for a doctor's diagnosis is generated from the radiographic image; and

not removing the signal of the reflected region from the radiographic image in a case in which a confirmation image for confirming a reflected state of the subject is generated from the radiographic image.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (16)